As The World Turns

Chapter 60

The girls had been right about the look on Marshall's face when he saw Jodie in her dark navy blue dress, which clung extremely tightly to her, and so had him feeling all kinds of things when she stepped out of the lift. It surprised him to see her in such a revealing dress, but wasn't at all confused by the fact that she'd decided to wear a jacket over the top. They'd never spoke again about how insecure she was about the rashes along her arms, since the day he'd asked why she always wore long sleeves. He had just forgotten how much.

''You look amazing,'' he whispered in her ear as he bent down to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

''You don't look too bad yourself,'' she threw back, taking in the dark jeans, plain shirt and black jacket he had on top.

''Excuse me, I always look fucking amazing,'' Marshall pointed out, which caused a chorus of giggles to go around the hotel lobby,'' what? why are you all laughing?''

''Nothing dad, it's just you kinda are always wearing either a hat or hoodie,'' Hailie comment, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

''And you're always wearing makeup. Your point,'' he retorted.

''The point you that Hailie don't wear makeup in bed,'' Taylor replied, glancing down at her nails, a telltale sign that she was tired of waiting around now.

''I don't wear hats in bed,'' Marshall furrowed his eyebrows, turning to look quizzically at Jodie.

''Well...'' She squinted her eyes and tilted her head as she spoke, ''you did once, but only cause you were super tired.''

''Right now that that's settled can we get in the cars now,'' Paul broke the conversation up before an argument could occur, which he was one hundred percent sure would've happened if he hadn't stepped in.

+++

''So is it just us or are some others joining us?'' Jodie asked as the car that Marshall and her shared pulled up outside the restaurant. She knew that some other singers and rappers were joining him for his shows, but she wasn't sure if they were in invited out with them.

''Nah, just the usual, me, you, Taylor, my daughter, Porter and Paul. That's it, I promise. I'll introduce you to the others backstage or during rehearsal,'' Marshall explained, as he opened the back passenger door and helped her out of the car.

Through the window of the restaurant, she could see that most everyone had arrived before them. Mainly because Marshall had decided he wanted to grab his hat from the hotel room. He'd muttered something about his head being cold, but Jodie wasn't so sure.

''We're definitely going to bury you in that hat,'' Alaina commented as she clocked the item on his head as he and Jodie approached the table.

''I don't care how old you are now, I can still ground you if I feel like it missy,'' Marshall shot back as he pulled a chair out for Jodie who thanked him was a smile, before he sat down next to her.

''I actually don't mind the hats,'' Jodie whispered to him as she reached across to look at the menu. She didn't need to look at him to know he had a smug smile on his face.

Jodie huffed as she flicked through the menu. There was just too much to choose from. The worst part about it was she was the only one that hadn't decided yet, so everyone around the table was waiting on her.

''Why don't you just get a salad or something,'' Taylor suggested, using her straw to stir her drink around. One elbow was resting on the table as she looked over at Jodie, her face telling her that she was hungry and Jodie was making it worse.

''I don't feel like a salad,'' Jodie mumbled, which caused the entire table to groan.

''Jo, how about you just get the same as me ok,'' before Jodie could reply, Marshall had waved down the waiter and before Jodie knew it, everyone had ordered and she was having whatever Marshall had chosen. It was at that moment she realised that she should have paid attention to what he'd said he was ordering earlier.

''I'm hoping we're all clear about the plan for the coming week,'' Paul started to speak, but Marshall quickly shot him down.

''Man, we're having a meal no one wants to talk about work, leave that for later, Taylor's already tipsy,'' Paul nodded in understanding.

''Am...'' hiccup, ''Not,'' Taylor tried to defend, but nobody believed her, ''Jodie took too long to order so I had to fill up somehow.''

''On alcohol,'' Denaun raised his eyebrows, '' there's bread right there,'' he gestured at the wicker basket that was in fact right in front of her.

''Who likes bread? Bread sucks.''

''Is she always like this,'' Whitney whispered from the other side of Jodie.

''Unfortunately, she is, but when the food comes she should come down,'' Jodie explained, before she turned to face Taylor again, ''hey Tay, how's the club going you know since I haven't been there.'' Her best friend's eyes lit up, Taylor lived for gossip.

''Oh, you'll never believe this. Yeah, you know how Sophia and Terrence beat me up that time,'' Jodie nodded and so did Marshall. However, everyone else around the table stared over at them with wide eyes, not knowing what Taylor was on about.

''Well, they showed up at the club, but your dad was prepared. Like had undercover copes and stuff inside and when they approached him, he took them to his office and Bam arrested on the spot for threatening and whatever the charge for beating someone up is,'' Paul was about to answer with the right answer, but Jodie shook her head and his mouth snapped shut.

''What about Joey, did he ever find who was trying to take over his customers,'' Jodie could see that Paul's head was about to explode and this time she couldn't stop him from cutting in.

''Perhaps talking about criminals isn't such a good dinner topic, ladies.''

''Oh fuck off,'' Taylor sighed, which caused Hailie to gasp and cover her mouth with her hand. She wasn't the only one that was shocked because nobody had ever spoken to Paul like that, well apart from Marshall, but even he was shocked at the situation that had occurred.

''What she meant to say, was alleged criminals,'' nobody for a second believed what Jodie had said, but nobody argued against it as not a moment later their food arrived and the table delved into a rather awkward feeling silence.